


Call To Battle

by brokenhighways



Category: Hit the Floor (TV), You (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crossover, Gen, POV Alternating, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:40:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Joe Goldberg takes an interest in Zero’s sister.
Relationships: Jude Kinkade/Zero | Gideon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14
Collections: Hit The Floor ▶ Zero / Jude Kinkade





	Call To Battle

**Author's Note:**

> The crossover that nobody needed...but I went ahead and wrote it anyway.

Hello, there. 

It’s me, Joe...and what do we have here?

You walk into the coffee shop and toss your hair over your shoulder - a universal cry for attention. It works because you have mine. You don’t see me, sitting in the back corner sipping a cappuccino and waiting for you to notice me. 

You’re smart, intelligent - different enough to form your own opinion. You’re wearing a bow-tie headband which tells me you’re playful. 

You’re a work of art. 

The kind of girl a guy takes home to his parents. 

Not that you’d care about that. 

You seem like you're bold. Free. The kind of girl that doesn’t give a shit. You’re a refreshing glass of water, the kind that tastes like iced lemonade on a warm, summer day. 

You order a soy latte and take a seat in the middle of the coffee shop - center stage, where you like to be. You revel in the attention, crossing your bare legs so we all notice. You have on red converse sneakers because you like danger, you thirst for excitement. 

It might just be your lucky day. 

I’m an exciting guy, ready to show you a world that you’ve only ever dreamed about.

You’re on your own - maybe you want company? A nice, amazing guy who’s ready to give you the world. Take you places you’ve never been before, show you real love. 

“Laura?” 

You look up when the barista holds up your drink, waving a delicately manicured hand to beckon her over. You could stand up and collect it, but this is your world. You’re the queen, you don’t answer to anyone, they answer to you. 

Laura. 

That’s a nice name. Wholesome. Pure. 

Laura and Joe. 

You don’t realise it, but your king is sitting a few paces behind you, falling in love second by second because you’re brilliant, aren’t you? With your flowing blonde hair and yellow sundress. You’re a ray of sunshine illuminating all of us and you don’t even know it. 

You make a phone call because people like you  _ always  _ have someone on the other line. You’re magnetic and nobody can stay away. 

“Zero, where are you? I only have an hour before I need to head back to class.”

You’re a student. 

It checks out; there’s so much beauty in you that it makes sense you want to take in all the knowledge you can and bloom even brighter. 

Who’s Zero, though? Is there a man in your life? Someone who couldn’t possibly know how to treat you. Sure, he might kiss you in the right places, touch you where you want to be touched, but he doesn’t  _ know  _ you. 

Not the way you need to be known. 

Zero’s a strange name. 

A familiar name, though, because this is L.A - ninety percent of the people here have  _ stupid _ names. 

You flip over a stray newspaper and smile at the back page - some bullshit article about the Los Angeles Devils, an average basketball team known more for its  _ dancers _ than its tactical prowess. 

Wait. 

You can’t possibly be waiting for Zero? The same Zero that came out after a high publicized escort scandal, the guy who doesn’t know what love is. There’s no way you’d dim your light by hanging out with  _ him _ . Plus, he has a  _ boyfriend _ . Real or not, you’d never involve yourself, never get together with a man that’s taken. 

Would you?

Have I misjudged you, Laura?

The door jingles open, an obnoxious sound that I’ve come to hate. You barely look up, too glued to whatever you’re reading on your phone. 

You’re probably on Instagram, scrolling through a heavily curated feed of professionally photographed salad dishes and cutesy pictures of your friends. 

We’ll work on that.

“Hey, little, sis!”

You finally tear your eyes away from your phone. You smile when you see Zero, the superstar basketball player and the tall man with him. From the way they’re standing closely together, it must be his boyfriend - however real that is. 

You don’t seem suspicious, though, in fact you hug him first and say, “Jude, I didn’t know you were coming!”

Your magical voice is like a lullaby and it washes over me. 

Clearly he’s part of your world and my, my, my, aren’t you a delight. 

Zero tears his eyes away from you and glances in my direction. 

Our eyes meet and his brow furrows, like he’s suspicious - maybe he thinks I was leering at you, or that I’m weird. 

He could be right, although, you’ll never see that side of me. 

No, you’ll only ever see me as the perfect guy.

The gentleman and amazing lover rolled into one. 

“Jude, do you want anything?” Zero asks, without taking his eyes off me. 

“Just a black coffee, thanks.” 

Jude follows Zero’s line of sight, but doesn’t spare me a second glance. He doesn’t have the protective instinct that Zero does. He’s not wondering if I’m a danger to you. 

You look in my direction and my heart begins to race. 

“Zero, stop glaring at that guy. Jeez.”

You’re defending me. You see what I see. That there’s something here. You’re intrigued and you don’t want your brother to scare me away. 

You’re the one for me and you know it. Not completely, but you have an idea, don’t you, Laura?

Your heart is already racing at the thought - just like mine. 

It’s a shame Zero will never see that I’m perfect for you - it’s clear he’s going to be a problem and as long as I’m in your life, there will be no problems. 

You will never have to worry about people coming between us. We’re unstoppable and in time you’ll see that. 

Zero makes his way to the counter, looking back over his shoulder to glare at me. 

It feels like a challenge - a call to battle. 

Luckily, you’re someone worth fighting for. 


End file.
